The Seven Layers
by The Steininator
Summary: Deceit, lies, magic and cross dressing. That what it takes for Jia 'Leon' Wang to live on an Estate, used to house the illegitimate children of rich and powerful men. They are supposed to be kept secret, but when a certain family comes to visit, Leon finds information that shouldn't have been found, strange things begin happening, and the real purpose of the Estate is revealed.
1. Chapter 1

王 _Wang (King)_

蛱 _Jia (Butterfly)_

隆 _Long (Dragon)_

I wrote out the characters that were supposed to mean my name. Leanne, Michelle, and my tutor Mr. Braginski was making us learn our native languages, that meaning Mandarin for me and French for my classmates. My mom was supposed to help me, but she was to busy taking care of the farm.

The farm, that's just what we call our home. We don't raise animals or crops, just kids. Or more specifically, the illegitimate offspring of wealthy and powerful business and company owners. Michelle was too young to know why she was here with her mother, but mom had told me when I'd asked that infamous question 'Where is daddy?'. I was fairly certain that the others didn't know why it was called the farm. I knew for certain that none of knew who our real fathers were.

I sighed.

"Is something wrong, Leon?" Mr. Braginski asked me, his strange presence making me uncomfortable.

"No." I told him

It was good enough. He walked away.

"Psst." Michelle, only seven said to me

"What." I said looking at her blankly

"Did you know that the French word for butt is derrière?" she asked

I shook my head no.

"It's so funny!" she giggled

Mr. Braginski walked up to her now.

"Problem?" he smiled his creepy smile

"N-no Mr. Braginski. Just learning some silly words." She whimpered

I could tell she was trying to avoid bursting into tears, but she was still trembling like a small, hairless dog. I stared at him until he left the poor girl alone.

He eventually left.

"He's scary." She whispered to me.

Leanne was just studying, as usual. She was such a snob, but a snob with a crush on me nonetheless. I tried to ignore that when she began staring at me.

_Jia._ I drew it again.

My mother told people it meant to mean sword, but the way she always wrote it, it meant Butterfly. I had always wondered why.

I took out a journal I had found among my mother's things and began to decipher it from characters that I found in the English to Mandarin dictionary I had.

* * *

Entry 1

Today I finally got a job! Finally I help Mei get her medicine so she will get better.

_Mei?_ I asked myself _I've never heard of Mei before in my life. Possibly one of the people mother left in China._

The pay isn't what I'd hoped and the work is hard, but it isn't too bad for a twelve year gift. _I changed that to twelfth birthday gift_. I got to make plates and pots today. I was so proud! They were so beautiful. Yong Soo was crazy and excited as usual, but when he came home from his factory, he brought Tea! Apparently the people at his factory decided it wasn't good enough to sell, so they left it for workers to take! I didn't know what was wrong with it, because it tasted really good.

There was also this boy. He looked like the owner's son. He comes to the factory sometimes with his father. I think he watches me, but it's probably just my imagination.

Entry 2

I got to make my first glass bracelet today! I was so proud. I hope that whoever wears it loves and cherishes it for how much work I gave it. Mei has also gotten much better, she is able to walk and play again! The owner's son was here again, and he actually said hello to me -

* * *

I gasped and shut the journal as I realized what this was. This was when my mother still lived in China.

Where she met my _father_.

This is what I had to do during these study periods! I had to find the bastard that knocked up my mother and then sent her to the farm! The boy she was talking about must have been him. The little information I got from her about my father was that she met him while she still worked in China while she was still just a girl. She had only been seventeen when she had me, so she probably wasn't much older than fifteen when she wrote this. I also had to find out who Mei and Yong Soo were. Family maybe?

"Alright girls," Ivan said clapping "Time to move onto Algebra, except for you Michelle. Your lesson is over until tonight."

And so we learned about functions and all that fun stuff.

After we finished learning, Leann grabbed my by arm and began babbling. I had begun calling her Brooke because of her chatty nature. Whenever she was like this, all she talked about was herself too, which made it even more unbearable.

"Oh, Leon, I was getting up and I heard the other help around the mansion talking about the family that is coming on vacation here over the summer."

"Mm." I replied

"Apparently it's the Kirkland family! It's master Kirkland, his wife, their youngest son, his wife, and their two daughters! They around our age, and you don't know how nice it will be to have a girls my age here to hang out with! Oh, but I bet they are complete snobs!" I resisted snorting "Oh yeah and my mother told me that she heard some great gossip! Apparently Michelle's father is Francis Bonnefoy! You know, like the Bonnefoy clothing company? Yeah, he is a complete party boy, I hear. He loves to drink and make tablet headlines you know?"

"Mm."

"Oh and I found out that Gilbert is coming back to help out at the farm. He's had no luck finding an actual job and he tried to start a mechanic thing, but it went under in a few weeks." She stopped abruptly "Hey Leon?"

"Hm?" I looked at her

"Do you ever wonder who his dad is? I mean, well all of our fathers. Other than Michelle's now, of course."

"Yeah." I looked at my shoes, she kept talking.

"Braginski almost ate Michelle today! That was so hilarious. The girl looked like she was going to pee herself! Oh my gosh, that was so FUNNY!" She began cracking up, in which she let go of my arm and held her stomach.

I took this chance to escape, so I walked away while she re-gathered herself, back to my room in the basement.

We all slept in the basement. The main kitchen and all of the rooms for the help and kids of the Farm slept in the basement. Of course we had to work as servants when family or friends of Master Kirkland came to stay in the vacation resort. It was a real paradise in the summer, the reason it was in so much demand for the rich with to much free time to spend their time and money here.

My mother was sleeping in her bed, we shared a room. All of the Farm kids shared a room with their parent.

It was a perfect time for me to return the journal, she never would've known it was gone. I slipped it into the drawer I had originally found it in.

She would never know it was gone.

"Jia?"

"Yes mother?"

"What are you doing?" she asked, half asleep

"I saw a bug. I was trying to catch it."

"Alright Sweetie. I saw that you are running low on sanitary napkin need more?"

"Mother!" I blushed

"I just wanted to know." she yawned

Oh yeah, one more thing. I'm actually a girl.

* * *

Thoughts? Hate it? Hope not! This idea's been floating around in my head for a while now, but I've finally been able to get it down on paper. This chapter was pretty boring, it should get more interesting in the next few chapters. Reviews are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

I sat at the breakfast table with Michelle and took some sausage from the plate in the middle of the table. I could also smell pancakes being baked in the kitchen next door.

"Good Morning Leon!" Michelle smiled, with a face full of sausage

"Mm." I nodded to her.

"Aww, is my wittle Leon tired?" Leanne asked, getting uncomfortably close to me.

"Uh..." I tried to lean away

"Pancakes!" Michelle cheered when Ms. Coleman, the head cook, came out with a large plate full of the freshly cooked breakfast pastry.

Leanne leaned away to see why Michelle was son excited. Silly, because Michelle is always excited.

"Alright guys, here you go." She set the plate on the table, "Where are the Vargas twins?"

"I dunno." Michelle said shoving pancakes into her mouth, she had to get her daily energy excess from somewhere.

"Yeah, they usually come running whenever good food is available." Leanne said thoughtfully.

"You bastard! You better apologize RIGHT NOW!" speak of the devil, she was just down the hall, in the laundry room.

I wonder what's got her pissed off now.

"Chiara! It's okay! You don't have to be angry." Daisy tried to calm her hot-headed sister down.

"It is NOT okay! Apologize right now before I tear your nose right off of your head!"

"I don't understand why I'm apologizing!" an annoying, masculine voice tried to reason

Michelle jumped out her seat and sped down the hall, screaming "Gilbert!"

He was back, the 'awesome' Gilbert. I sighed and followed the mulatto girl to the laundry room. When I got there she was already climbing all over him and telling him how much she'd missed him. I guess no matter how annoying, Gil would always be our older brother figure, and Michelle adored him for that.

"Hey there, munchkin." he laughed, a furious Chiara still had smoke coming out her ears.

"What did Gil do?" Leanne asked from behind me.

"He bumped mi sorella!" Chiara fumed

"It's really okay! I wasn't hurt or anything!" Daisy squeaked

"You have broken your leg from tripping before, you klutz!" Chiara yelled

Her sister cowered.

"Oh, sorry sorella." Chiara's tone softened

"If that's ho angry she gets over something like that, I don't wanna be around when she gets mad over something important." Leanne whispered to me

I would've laughed, if I wasn't too busy being surprised by her close proximity. It took a second before I calmed down enough to pay attention to my surroundings again.

"So why didn't you come home sooner?" Leanne asked Gilbert "I thought you would."

"Oh, so sorry to disappoint you princess." Gilbert teased

Leanne got an irritated aura surrounding her soon after.

"No! I just got word that you would be coming sooner. That's all." She argued

"Word from where?" Gilbert raised his eyebrow, confused.

"I'll never tell." Leanne was smug now.

"Alright kids-" Mrs. Jacob a.k.a. the Warden said walking into the laundry room.

"I'm not a kid!" Gilbert and Chiara yelled at the same time.

Warden rolled her eyes. The warden wasn't the kindest woman, and she was strict as all hell, thus her name. She wasn't quite fat, more like muscular. I could never guess her age more specifically than over fifty. She always wore a stained apron and the weirdest plaid dresses. Leanne simply despised them.

"Alright _people_, time to eat. All of you have stuff to do after breakfast-"

"Even me?" Gilbert asked

"Yes, especially you." She glared.

She was getting irritated from being interrupted by Gilbert.

"So go eat. All of you." She commanded

We did. It would be worse than suicide to defy Warden.

As we ate, Leanne chattered on about the most random things, as usual. It would worry me if she was quiet. Occasionally, Chiara or Michelle would respond to her senseless babble. For Chiara, it was usually 'Shut up.' or 'No one cares'. Daisy just watched Leanne, with her usual euphoric smile and bright eyes. I hopped she wasn't actually absorbing any of Leanne's chatter, for her own sanity's sake.

"Hey Leon!" Michelle suddenly interjected

"Hm?" I looked at the girl

"I found a secret passageway yesterday! You wanna explore with me after breakfast?" Michelle asked

"Mm-hm." I nodded

"Mind if I tag along?" Leanne asked

"Nope!" Michelle was more than happy to have Leanne come.

She viewed it as an adventure, now that there were three of us. After breakfast, Michelle led us to the third floor of the mansion. The library was up here, where we had our lessons.

"Here!" she said turning to open a door

When she tried, the door was locked.

"Looks like the doors locked. You sure it was this door?" Leanne asked

"Yeah! I mean..." she looked down, disappointed. "It _was_."

"It's okay. I'm sure that there are other ways to get into the secret passage. This is a pretty old house."

"Yeah, okay." Michelle sighed

"C'mon, I think it's time for our lessons." Leanne walked toward the library.

Michelle and I followed her.

* * *

Entry 3

Today I saw Mei running around outside. I'm so grateful that she is getting better. Yong Soo and I are barely able to pay for her medicine with both of our salaries, and the both of us become even more tired every night. I'm so afraid, if either of us get fired...

I don't want to think about it.

Today I caught the owner's son following me. He tried to explain in Mandarin that he was just exploring the factory, but he was so terrible. Luckily Mother thought to teach the three of us English, so I could speak to him better.

He was so funny, and he...

I think I have a crush! Oh, this is so strange. I shouldn't be falling for some rich boy foreigner when I have to be concerned about Mei's health!

I hope I see him again tomorrow.

* * *

He stared out of the car's window. Both of his children were quiet, occupied by their new Ipads. Amelia had begged and begged until he caved.

"Aurthur, are you alright?" Marianne asked

"Huh? Oh, yes of course. Just a little tired from the trip."

She smiled and put her hand over his.

"I understand. But we'll be there soon. It was so nice of your father to bring us here for the summer. The girls are going to have such a good time."

"Yeah." he smiled at his wife

_What is the bastard planning now?_ He asked himself, staring out of the window at the lush greenery.

* * *

**First appearance by Arthur! I might not be updating for a while, since I'm going to be in Georgia. I'll try to update by Saturday, but who knows?**

**Reviews are always appreciated.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Night time, the perfect time to snoop. According to Leanne anyways.

I was only wandering about because I wanted a glass of water. I was having some trouble sleeping. The family that was staying for the summer had arrived a few hours ago. They, of course, got the premium rooms on floors two and three. I wasn't bitter at all, considering this is where I live, and I slept in the basement in the same room as my mother.

Not bitter at all.

I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water. Even after I gulped it down, I still felt restless. I decided to go back to my room.

But as I walked past Warden's room, the door was open and I heard talking. I wouldn't have cared about the conversation, except I heard Michelle's name. I put my ear against the crack in the door.

"So she didn't see any of the files?" an older masculine voice asked, worried.

"Even if she did, the girl can barely read. She wouldn't have found any information from them." The Warden reassured.

"And you locked the door to the study?"

"Yes, right after I heard her talking about it at breakfast."

Was this the door Michelle had tried to take Leanne and I into?

"So the others couldn't get in? What about the room?"

"The doors are locked, sir."

"Good job, Mackenzie. You have done your job perfectly." he sighed in relief.

What had been so forbidding abut that study door? Maybe it had some kind of information regarding our parents! That could've been why the man that was speaking was so worried about us going in there. I began to walk away when the Warden's door opened completely.

"Leon? What are you doing out here?"

My heart began to beat quickly. I was caught, but I didn't let it show on my face. I turned to face the Warden.

"I was having trouble sleeping, so I went to the kitchen to get some water." I explained, dully.

"Oh," she sighed in relief "I don't think you've had the chance to meet master Kirkland."

"No."

A old burly man walked out of the Warden's room.

"Master Kirkland, this is Leon, one of the Estates inhabitants."

"Nice to meet you young man." he smiled, shaking my hand.

There was something off about his smile. I didn't let my suspicions show, I was suddenly proud at my inability to show emotion as an expression.

"Nice to meet the owner of this place." I hadn't talked this much in weeks! Why was I now?

I saw it then.

It was a ghostly red snake, trying to slither up my red silk pajamas. When it touched me, I started talking. I backed away from the snake, hiding my fear of the spirit (How did I know what it was?).

"I'm going to bed." I said walking away from the snake.

It recoiled when I walked away. That made me a little happy, I think.

~Break~

I woke up with a weird headache, it made me dizzy and my vision was blurry. When I tried to get up, I just fell back onto my bed.

"Are you alright Jia?" Mom asked when I fell.

"Just dizzy. Don't worry." I was back to my usual non-talkative self.

Last night. It made me want to go into that room even more, especially if it had files about our parents. Chiara had always claimed that she didn't care who her father was, even more after her mother died. Gilbert didn't seem to care, but I knew deep down somewhere he was curious. Leanne and I were the most curious, Michelle being too young and Daisy always taking care of people. Too much so to care about her own emptiness, that must've existed somewhere.

We are all people with serious daddy issues.

I tried to get up again, not feeling as dizzy the second time. I stood up, feeling like a character of a video game with amazing graphics, but was slow load and play. I walked to my dresser, next to Mom's and tried to concentrate long enough to find a matching set of clothes. For some reason I just stared in the mirror above my dresser, analyzing myself. My eyes and hair were dark, like mom. But my skin, eye shape, nose, lips and basically everything else I got from my dad. If I wore makeup and grew my hair out a little, I would definitely look like a girl.

But that wasn't possible, not until I moved out at least.

I sighed and realized it was Saturday. That fact made me a little happy, since I didn't have to go to Ivan's military grade homeschooling.

I joined the others at the breakfast table and ate in silence, as the usual chaos ensued. The mini food fight that happened wasn't usual, and had to be broken up by Ms. Coleman.

After Michelle was done and walked away, I got up from the table and caught up to her.

"Wanna try the passage again?" I asked her

Her face lit up like a fall carnival.

"Yeah! Lets go!" She grabbed my hand and we ran all the way up to the door.

She attempted to open the door again, and as last time, it didn't open.

"Lemme try." I said as Michelle looked like she was going to cry.

My hand got near the doorknob, and I felt something I recognized.

Warden?

When I realized who this was, I heard a click. I turned the doorknob and the door opened.

"Yay!" Michelle ran inside and pressed a spot on the wall, revealing a dark abyss behind the wall.

I walked in after her and a light turned on in what I assumed was the passageway. I heard Michelle scream. I ran to her, and I understood why she screamed.

The 'passageway' had actually been a secret room. It had jars of strange odds and ends that resembled body parts, from animals I hoped. The majority of the room's floor had some kind of occult circle carved into it. The walls were splattered with a strange brown color, and the room smelled like my Iron bed frame.

"It's okay." I said picking up the girl and stroking my fingers through her hair.

She was passed out when I checked on her to see why she had stopped whimpering. I closed the secret door and set Michell on the couch in the study. I grabbed a file, just a random manilla folder. When I opened it there were strange letters, they slowly moved and changed into something I could understand.

_Darkness we value thee_  
_So we fall to our knees_  
_Sacrifice our blood_  
_Offer our kin_  
_They amount to nothing_  
_In the end_

_Darkness give us power_  
_Power for blood_  
_Under a full moon_

There were a few more stanzas, but the first few freaked me out, so I decided not to read them.

I searched the shelves for other folders, until I saw them.

Babaneoux,

Fredricks,

Limaroux,

Vargas

And...

Wang.

My heart skipped a beat and a tear fell from my eye.

They were our files.

* * *

**Two updates in one day? I guess I just wanted to make up for not being able to update for a week.**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

To say my arm trembled when I reached for the file with my name on it was like saying the great lakes were just puddles along the street. No, it was more like I had gotten a sudden, severe case of Parkinson's in my arm. I retracted my arm and took a deep breath. I didn't know that I was this nervous until just now. I plucked Leanne's folder off the shelf instead, with much more ease.

Babanoux, Leanne

I scanned over the file. It had all sorts of information, like her parents, birthday, and birth_place_. I had no clue that she had been born in Monte Carlo. The girl **loved** to make bets and gamble, that probably explained it. Her father was also the media-stalked play boy without a condom, Francis Bonnefoy. The guy was freaking everywhere, and If Leanne's sources were right, she had a half-sister here.

I felt a pang of jealousy. If anyone was to be Michelle's sister, it should be me. Leanne thought of Michelle as little more than a pest she had to constantly shoo away. She only spent time with her because it would enable her to be with me.

She is such a manipulative bitch.

I angrily shoved her folder back into the spot it was before.

Fredricks, Gilbert

Not that it really mattered, but I found out that Gilbert's dad was too. I recognized his name because he was some big time politician that Leanne never shut up about. His name was Alaric Bielschmidt; he had been married three times, one of his wives apparently being Gilbert's mother. It looked like he had a few younger brothers too. One named Ludwig that was his full blooded brother. He deserved it; he had always treated everyone here like a younger sibling. He should put the practice to good use.

I noticed something on the bottom corner of the page labeled 'financial report'. It was hand written, while the rest of file had been typed then printed. I flipped the page to find what I thought was just a list of random names. The names of a few of Gilbert's ex-girlfriends were on the page. The ones I knew he had gone out with at some point in time. Were all crossed out. My brow furrowed in confusion.

I placed Gilbert's folder back into its slot after I was done scanning over it.

Lamaroux, Michelle

If I had a quarter for every time Leanne's so called 'fun gossip' were actually right, I would have one quarter. No joke.

It was exactly because Michelle's biological father was, in fact, Francis Bonnefoy. Her mother had died a long time ago, shortly after the people here had done their magic and found Michelle when her mother was attempting to ask Francis for money. I was sure that she was going to decline the offer of having her child raised in a mansion while she slaved away, as was the deal all of our parents had to agree to, but she died before it was made official.

If she had no parent to pay for her room and board, why had they snatched her up? I felt a little slow for realizing this just now.

Just another question, to be left unanswered.

I sighed and put Michelle's folder back. I walked over to the couch that Michelle was resting on and shook her gently. I had heard her stirring and wanted to wake her.

"L-Leon? What happened?" she asked in a drowsy voice

At this point I had two choices. Pretend what she saw in the room was just a dream, or tell her the truth. My first instinct is to lie, obviously.

"You fell asleep when I was giving you a piggyback ride over here."

"Oh. Okay. Wanna see the secret passagew-" I put my finger over her lips and listened.

There were voices and footsteps making their way down the hallway. I opened the door of a coat closet and gestured for Michelle to get in. She quickly scrambled into the closet, I followed after her. I hate getting smacked in the face with fur, oh so much.

I partially closed the door and waited for the people to hopefully pass. They paused for a few seconds, only to be shooed away by the warden and someone else, that someone being Master Kirkland. They walked into the office, after a moment of silence.

"Well, one of my sons or nephews could do. My son just finished his training with his father; he would enjoy spending the summer here." The warden said, it sounded like a suggestion.

"I don't know Kenzie, it might work. I do get the feeling that the young man enjoys the company of males over women."

The warden laughed.

"Definitely Max."

Were they talking about me? There were really only two 'young men' they could be talking about. Gilbert was definitely straight, soo…

That only left me. I was fairly certain I was straight, mostly since Leanne had scared me out of liking other women. Was it natural for cross dressers to be completely straight? I had no clue.

"Are they talking about you, Leon?" Michelle whisper/asked

"You read my mind." I whispered back

Then something disturbing happened. The warden looked. Straight, At. Me. Michelle felt it too, because I heard her squeak and felt her tremble. We had absolutely no idea how much trouble we would get in if we were caught, neither of us were too keen to find out either.

Arthur walked past the door, for what seemed like the millionth time. Who was that maid? He was positive her had seen her before. He couldn't quite remember, and when he tried his mind would lose his train of thought and he would get completely distracted. He thought and thought, but no one came to mind.

Maybe he had met while he was in China all of those years ago…

Then that would mean that his ex-mistress would be working at his father's vacation estate, and that made no sense whatsoever.

"What's wrong, my love?" Marianne asked from the bed, where she was reading a book.

He sighed.

"I think I recognized one of the help here. Did you?" He asked his wife

"I saw Dominique, one of my brother's ex-girlfriends. It was a little strange that she was here, don't you think?" she asked setting her book on the polished cherry wood nightstand .

"Mm. Yes."

"Come to bed, we've had a long day of traveling and I have a feeling that our daughter is going to be more exhausting than usual tomorrow." Marianne patted the spot on the bed beside her.

"Alright." He crawled next to his wife, falling asleep after a few moments of enjoyable silence.

"_No! Please don't leave! Please don't!" a younger version of Arthur shouted at a girl who was walking away_

"_Your father, he said- I can't tell you. But I don't want him to hurt you! I want you and Marianne to be happy together." The faceless woman said_

"_I can't be happy without you! Please -, the gardens will never be the same without you." He pleaded_

"_I love you too much." She kissed him one last time "I have to go."_

"_No!" Arthur tried to reach out for her._

_The kiss had been too short._


	5. Chapter 5

I prayed that the warden's beady eyes piercing my soul, was just a figment of my imagination, but Michelle's squeak of fear confirmed my suspicion. I wondered how much trouble we would be in. Would she question how we had gotten into the room in the first place? Even_ I_ couldn't answer that question. I braced myself for the worst punishment I had ever received in my life by holding onto Michelle as the warden advanced closer to the coat closet.

BANG

BANG

BANG

That was all that happened. She had closed the door shut and banged twice on the door. What bothered me was that I couldn't hear anything, not even the sound of my own my own heart beating.

"Psst, hey." A female voice said from behind us.

I looked behind me and saw a seventeen- looking girl with short platinum hair wearing a blue and red plaid dress and colonial like boots, brown made with leather and bound by dark laces. Her short hair was held back by a headband and two bobby pins. Her most outstanding feature though, was her enormous breasts. If I had to guess who she was, I'd say she was a goddess of fertility.

"Who are you? When did you get here?" I asked her

"Oh, my name is Katayusha Brakinski." Braginski? "I was accidentally locked in here by my baby brother a few hours ago. I've been waiting for someone to notice my absence for a while now." She said

"Little brother? What's his name?" Michelle asked

She had the same thought as me. How could this girl, only a few years older than us have a little brother in his mid-thirties? Considering he could be just an uncle, relative, or not closely related at all, maybe she was telling the truth. I'd never seen her before in my life, and the last time there were any little boys were here, was when Gilbert was a kid, as long as one didn't count me.

"Ivan. Why?" she asked

"How long have we been in here?" Michelle asked me

"I have no idea, but I am going to get us out!" I had to.

I slammed against the door, and it didn't give. I tried again and again. The door was locked, but it felt like the lock that the door to the office had. That meant I couldn't open it with force.

I took a deep breath.

"Okay." I sighed. I put my hand on the door. "Open? Please?" a slight glow and the door opened.

The room was the same, except all of our personal files were gone. That meant I would never…

"Katayusha?" Michelle tugged on the girl's dress, "Do you know what today is?"

"The fifth of October? Oh no, it's the sixth. Silly me." She laughed

"Actually today is July nineteenth." I corrected, "2012."

She took a step back, her eyes widening and her pupils dilating.

"No! It's almost 1984! I was going to dress as some bacon and Ivan was going to be eggs and little Natalia was going to be a biscuit. I was going to take them trick or treating in a few weeks…" she fell to her knees and began to cry "It feels like it makes sense though, the entire time I was in there, it felt like I was in some kind of dream state, until you guys came." She cried harder

"I-I can take you to your brother." I said putting my hand on her shoulder

"Can you?" she sobbed, tears still streaming out of her eyes.

"Ivan, right?" I asked

"Uh-huh." She nodded "How old is he? Oh he must be married and probably has a family now-"

"No, he's our teacher." Michelle laughed

"He is going out with my mom though." I added

"Oh that's wonderful!" She wiped her eyes and stood up.

"C'mon, he's probably reading right now!" Michelle grabbed Katayusha's hand and ran her down to Ivan's office.

I closely followed.

What had happened in there? Was this some kid of-

Yes of course! I felt so stupid for not realizing it. Magic had to be the only reason for all of this. Katayusha being trapped in a wardrobe for almost thirty years, the pentagon, the strange animals, the creepy poem, probably some kind of spell. Magic was the only answer, or maybe I was just feeling the side effects from reading too many fiction stories.

Nothing else really fit the situation though.

Soon enough, we were in front of Ivan's office. Katayusha began to fix her hair and flatten out her wrinkled dress.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous, he is just my little brother. Not that much has cha-" as she put her fist up to the door, the door swung open, a bewildered Ivan standing at the doorway.

"Kat?" he seemed to go numb

"Ivan you're so tall!" she laughed

He lifted his sister off of the ground with amazing strength, into one of the sweetest bear hugs.

What? No matter how I act or how I dress, I'm still a girl!

"Please you have to explain what happened to you!" Ivan begged

Was he… crying? I guess being reunited with a family member would make anyone cry, I just hadn't considered Ivan would be crying.

"I really don't know. We were playing hide and seek one moment and the next I find out my baby brother went and grew up without me." She smiled sadly.

"Um, we're gonna go now so you two can enjoy this moment a little bit more." I said picking up Michelle and hauling her onto my back

"Weeeeeee!" she giggled as I ran back to the basement.

I was going to catch hell for this, I already knew. The warden had clearly seen me, and locked me away in some time capsule with a girl form the early eighties.

I was playing with my pencil when I got an idea. If my magic theory was right, and I somehow had some kind of ability…

I set the pencil in front of me and wondered what I should do.

"Float, please." I asked the pencil

Nothing happened.

I sighed and decided to put the pencil back on my desk.

"Were you trying to make that pencil fly?" an accented voice asked me

"Hm?" I looked at the figure

He was blond, medium height with strange piercing green eyes. He had a sweater vest and dress slacks on. What kind of weirdo dressed like that, unless they worked for a bank?

"Were you trying to make the pencil fly?" he asked again, pronouncing everything clearly.

"I guess I was."

"Hmph, Thought so. You aren't supposed to ask an inanimate object to do something, that really only works if it is already enchanted." He handed me the pencil, 'Try again."

"Um, Float pencil?" and It did.

I gasped, and the blond laughed.

"I knew I felt an untouched magical source around here. It's probably you then." He looked at me and smirked.

"I guess so." I replied

I was still amazed that I could do something like this. My magic theory was right then! And…

I could do it.

I wasn't sure how to handle that. It seemed like such a burden. Why did I have magic anyways?

"I could teach you how to control it, if you want." He offered "I bet that strange things have happened to you recently and in your past that couldn't be explained."

I nodded.

"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore." I sighed, thinking of him.

_Emil._ I sadly remembered.

* * *

**If I'm going too fast for any of you just tell me, and if you have any questions about the plot, don't be afraid to ask. The plot of this story is really complicated, and I might leave a few loose strings flailing about.**

**Thank you for reading and reviews are always appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

"You a Wizard, or something?" I asked the man

"Or something? No, dear boy, I am most definitely a wizard." he laughed

"Uh-huh. So, how do you know I'm a wizard?"

Arthur looked at me like I just asked what color the sky was. Blue, dear boy. The sky is blue.

"Leon, is it?" he asked me

I nodded.

"How do you tell what the weather is like?"

I decided only to raise my eyebrow at him and say nothing.

"...Right, well, I can see magic. Sort of. Its mostly a sixth sense."

My facial expression didn't change.

"Um, I, it's hard to explain but, without proper training you can't use your power whenever you want. You bend to it's will when it should bend to yours."

"So, the pencil?"

"Right. You have to tell it to move. Don't worry, you won't hurts it's feelings. It's just a dead stick with a lump of graphite stuck inside."

I looked at the pencil, then back at him. The pencil, him. Part of me was screaming, no Jia! This is crazy you're crazy! What the hell are you doing? Don't trust fuzz-brows over there, because that guy is obviously _completely insane_! Then the other part was saying; eh, what the hell. No one lives forever, right?

Though the skeptic side of me screamed louder, I couldn't deny what I had seen myself do, and maybe the potential I had to do so much more.

'Move' I thought concentrating on the pencil

Like that, something snapped. I had no idea what, but the world changed. I could hear so much more, not bodily functions, but conversations and animals scurrying around in the main gardens. I could feel the life that surrounded me, and I was wrapped in the sweet embrace of a lazily flowing river that was infinite, eternal. I looked at the pencil, to see that it was rocking back and fourth, just like I had told it to.

I tried to smile at Arthur, but he was surrounded by a bright yellow light. I think he tried to speak to me, but I couldn't hear him. So many things at once were happening, I couldn't tell what was what. I felt a pair of strong hands grab my back, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

I woke up at the desk where the pencil had been moving before. It looked like I'd fallen asleep at the desk trying to make a pencil float. Or I had actually done it and none of the strange sensations had been just a dream.

I looked over to my hand to see one of my mother's jade rings. I went to take it off, but just as I began to slide it off of my finger, the lights started changing and I felt like I was drowning. I lost grip of the ring and it fell back to the base of my finger. The sights and feelings faded to normal.

It was most definitely _not_ a dream.

"Jia, are you awake?" I heard my mother calling in Mandarin

"Yes mother!" I replied to her

"Oh good, I want your help setting up lunch for our guests."

"Okay. I'll be up in a second." I told her

I went to the kitchen and awaited my orders. The head cook gave me instructions to set the floral arrangements, so I grabbed a bunch of flowers and vases, and took them upstairs.

The main dining hall resembled what I would think an imperial palace's would look like. It had a few large tables and smaller tables surrounding it, for the most part, but there was only the longer table out, covered in it's ghostly white tablecloth. It was empty except for a few plates, I counted five. I set the vases in between the plates, I only needed two when I had brought three. I pulled the extensive bouquet from under my arm and started setting large bundles of flowers in them.

When I finished, I was going to take the extra crystal vase back downstairs, but I noticed something was off. The flowers, weren't as... alive as they usually were. I mean, of course they were dead, the had been for a few hours at least, but I had always had a way with plants that no matter what I did they, bouquets were works of art.

"Um, Vitalize?" I told the flowers

They had listened, but only a little.

"Vitalize!" I commanded, this time in Mandarin.

The flowers sprung up, and I nearly fainted from the new smells they emitted. They were so fragrant and bright. Maybe my talent with plants had come from this... magic thing. That dissapointed me a little since that meant fuzz-brows could probably do it too, since he was my magic teacher of sorts.

I sighed and enjoyed the smells of the flowers before I returned to the stuffy kitchen to put the extra vase back. On the way back to my room I began to wonder where the files had gone. I had yet to read mine or the Vargas sister's, and I wanted to know what any kid my age would want to know.

Who's daddy?

Maybe I could just bother mom again about it. Ask for a story about him or something. She always liked to do that, to get my mind off of the subject. It wouldn't be enough this time, a story about her giving the guy free food and then him asking her out wasn't going to be sufficient. I knew who everyone else's father was, why not my own?

"Leon?" I heard Michelle call from behind me

"Um, yes?" I was broken out of my thought bubble

"Leanne wants to see you in the garden. She says it's important."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Always the drama with that one.

"Okay."

"Okay! Follow me!"

I followed the girl up the stairs and out the back door, or the 'servants entrants' Ms. Coleman liked to call it. It was her way of making sure we knew we were property. The girl led me to the small pond that was filled with various trout where Leanne was sitting in her pink dress, picking at a flower. She had specially braided hair and was wearing her glasses I had once complemented her on.

"Leon!" she gasped

Don't act so surprised. You sent the munchkin after me, and who could resist her face?

"Hm." my greetings are so eloquent

"I'm so glad you came. I have wonderful news for you, but first..." she beckoned me closer with her finger

I walked closer, and she stood, getting uncomfortably close to me. Then she did it. The thing that had been plaguing my nightmares and had caused my constant discomfort.

She_ kissed_ me.

It wasn't to bad, actually. Her lips were soft and moist, experienced though I knew that this was her first real kiss. Her mouth navigated mine and we fit together well, but this was wrong. I hated her, I shouldn't be touching her like this.

I pulled away after what seemed like eternity. She had a dreamy but confused look on her face.

"Leon?" her voice was soft, and full of hurt

Her body was limp, she looked like she would fall if I wasn't there to support her. Her usual cocky grin was replaced with sadness and fear. This was a whole new side of the girl I'd grown up with. She had always been large and in charge, not vulnerable and... and a normal teenage girl.

"Sorry Leanne... but..."

"What? You don't like me?"

I shook my head. It was much more significant that that.

"You're thinking too small, dear girl." a masculine voice said from behind her

The tall hulking form of Master Kirkland crept out from the trees behind Leanne, she nearly screamed, but just jumped and hid behind me.

The red snake was back! It was coming from him, that bastard! I'll see him try to make the girl who's as good as my sister talk.

"Go away." I told the snake in mandarin.

It didn't listen.

"L-leon?" Leanne stuttered

I looked up at master Kirkland.

"Pull your stupid beast back. I'll talk, just don't hurt her."

"Leon!" Leanne cooed

"Can it Leanne."

"Ah, so you can see it. You must be really into that chink voodoo stuff then."

I seriously thought about taking off my mother's jade ring, that seemed to act as a barrier between me and my power.

"Leave us alone. You already provide us with minimum living standards." I put both hands behind my back, to be able to adjust my ring, only a little, so I could blast this guy into next week.

I didn't even know I could, but the anger and rage that filled my chest from his racial slur against my mother and her people told me I probably could. I slid the ring ever soooooo slightly down my finger and saw his clothes beginning to burn right off of his body.

"And I prefer the term 'herbal medicine'."

The ring slipped and fell onto the ground, and before I knew it, my head was stinging and Master Kirkland had spontaneously combusted. I fell to the ground with feelings of nausea and lack of oxygen smothering me. I tried to search for the ring, but Leanne had run off to get help and had returned too quickly.

"Leon, breathe. The most important thing is to breath, dear boy." Arthur told me

I think he was even carrying me. That was strange. Shouldn't he be helping his father?

As I tried to over analyze the situation more waves of nausea crashed over me and the stinging spread down my neck, my shoulders, my arms.

Breathe. That was all I could do. Just breathe Jia. Breathe.


End file.
